Last-minute brilliance propels Kenya Simbas past UAE
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 24.05.25. | 19:13
The victory gives them a confidence boost as they gear up for their demanding South African tour
The Kenya 15s national team; Simbas put on a stunning final half display to thrash the United Arab Emirates 54-24 in a friendly match held at the RFUEA Grounds on Saturday, 24 May.
The match, played in three 30-minute segments, served as a dual-purpose fixture: a much-anticipated homecoming for the 15s national team and the final audition ahead of their high-performance tour of South Africa.
For UAE, it was an important tune-up as they prepare for the upcoming Asian Cup.
Despite showing early dominance, Kenya struggled to capitalize on their pressure in the opening segment.
©Tabby NashipaeFrequent handling errors and missed lineouts let opportunities slip by, while the UAE showed clinical efficiency.
After a temporary halt in the 19th minute due to an injury, the visitors took control, punishing Kenya with two well-taken tries the first coming off a Kenyan mispass and the second after a well-structured build-up, both converted by Max Johnson. The Simbas found themselves trailing 14-0 after the first third.
The second segment offered more hope for the Kenyan fans.
France-based Bethuel Anami opened the scoring for the hosts with a powerful try, converted by Kabras Sugar’s Erick Cantona.
UAE quickly responded with a try and conversion to make it 21-7, but the Simbas were not done.
©Tabby NashipaeCantona turned on the style, receiving an offload from Samuel Ovwamu after a dazzling midfield run to score under the posts and add the extras himself, narrowing the gap to 21-14.
A late infringement by Kenya, however, saw UAE convert a penalty to end the second segment at 24-14.
Donning green jerseys instead of red for the final third, the Simbas looked like a transformed unit.
©Tabby NashipaeAndycolle Omollo powered over from a maul, with Timothy Omela converting to bring the scores to 24-21.
Moments later, scrum-half Samuel Asati set up Ibrahim Ayoo for a try that saw Kenya take the lead for the first time at 26-24.
The Simbas surged forward with intent. After a series of UAE infringements, the referee awarded a penalty try, pushing Kenya further ahead to 31-24.
Omela’s burst on the left wing and offload to Griffin Chao led to another converted try (38-24), and Tyson Juma’s brilliant chip-and-chase laid the platform for Omollo to bag his second of the day.
Kenya’s final try came from a scrum set-piece, with Asati breaking through and setting up Bryceson Adaka for a centre-post finish, sealing a comprehensive 54-24 victory.
The emphatic win not only thrilled the home crowd but also provided a confidence boost as the Simbas gear up for their demanding South African tour.
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